Brake-releasing mechanism.



T. 5 CLARK BRAKE RELEASING MECHANISM.

APPLICAUON FFLED APR 23, 2913.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

INVENTOH X \\BY\' QSR a A RNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. CLARK OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BRAKE-RELEASING MECHANISM.

Application filed-April 28, 1913.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TuoMAs E. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of \Vayneand State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Brake-Releasing Mechanism. of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to automatic train control apparatus designed for use in connection with block signal systems for the control of railway trains, and especially to that type shown in my prior application Serial Number (379,803, filed Feb. 26, 1912, and consists in the mechanism shown in said an plieation whereby the train crew can cause the release of the train brakes after they have been set because of conditions against. which this train control apparatus is designed to guard the train.

This invention consists particularly in an electric circuit and manually operated switches mounted therein, whereby the brakes are caused to release notwithstanding the danger conditions which may exist in the path of the train, so that the train can proceed.

"It further consists of automatic mccha nism for limiting the speed of the train while the brakes are prevented from operating by said brake-releasing switches and the circuits therefor.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of this invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modification embodying a plurality of control switches in series.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts in the several views and are generally the same as those which refer to like parts in the drawings of said former application Number ($79,803.

The track equipment of each block A. ll

'and C will be the same as described in said prior application. and consists of the feed wires (3 and T, the track-circuit wires 8 and 9 connecting to the ends of the rails of the next adjacent track and which connect to the track relay or electro-magnet 10, the pri- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Serial No. 763,965.

coil of the transformer 14, the rotary interrupter 29-3() (which is fully explained in my application Serial Number 702,013, filed June 6, 1912), the electrodes 31 so positioned as to leave spark gaps 20 between their inner ends and the rotary interrupter, the condensers 23, the copper inductance or linking coil 24, the adjustable line 21v connecting thereto, the adjustable line 25 leading to the main limb 27 of the wayside circuit and the line 26 leading to the pick-up limb 28 of this circuit. which limbs are out of alinement but parallel with each other and with the track rails (r. In this case as in the original application. the track is divided into blocks insulated from each other, and While the short limb 28 of each block terminates atthe insulation at the forward end of the block, the main limb 27 extends beyond the insulation at the other end of the block into the next adjacent block.

The receiving circuits, and the local operating circuit mounted on the locomotive or tender, are shown in substantially the same manner as in the former application, parts being omitted wherever possible. The main receiving circuit when in operation consists of the same main receining members 53connet-ting to the line 54 which leads to one of the contacts controlled by the main. relay, (here shown) as made up of two independent parts 57 and 57", movable contact 97 of the relay. the line 59 connecting to the thermoelectric relay 60 (which is described in detail in my former application Serial Number ($801 dated March 1, 1912), the line 59 the variable inductance 61 and the ground 62.

The auxiliary or pick-up branch circuit. when in operation. comprises the receiving incmbcrs (13. the line (34 including the variable inductance 61 the relay armature 97 (when in the position shown in Fig. 1). and line 5.) to the thermo-electric relay 60, the line 59, the inductance 61 and the ground (3:2. This pick-up circuit is closed when the relay. 57 is dce'nergized, and being thus closed is the first to receive current influence from the wayside circuit.

The local circuit 0011;?)11S8S the 'thermw. filGCU'IC relay, the l nesfip spring 75 the flexible fiber 81 and the switch 86, as doscrihod in my prior application No. 680,070, and so long as proper onrront passos o\1or tho filamont TS hotwoon the linos 5t) and 592 pormits an oporativo current from tho sonrco T0 to How ovor tho linos (i7 and G7. Tho main function of tho rolay 57 is to koop olosoil tho circuit to tho solonoid $11) so long as ctll't'ont is improssod upon tho rocoiring circuits from tho waysido wiros 27 and 21a. and this will occur so long as a connoction oxists in tho thormo-oloctric rolay hotwoon tho wiros ti? and (37. Tho path of tho onrront will ho from tho hns-har tin ovor tho lino 101 to tho armatnro 103, o\'or tho lino 105 and tho lino lot) to the binding post, 10? of tho solonoid coil 51 thonce from binding post 108 ovor tho lino 111) to tho huslmr (it). This cansos tho coro 111 of tho solonoid to actnato tho stom 11!) to closc tho valro 11:2 in tho train air-pipo ll-t. Tho \'al\o will antomaticaltr opon whon tho solo, noid is dot norgizml. thus causing tho hrakos to oporato and stop t'ho train.

Tho passago of onrront through tho solcnoiil doponds on tho passago of cnrront to tho waysido circuit. lf this is intorrnptoil. tho train on that particular hlook will ho stoppod. Tho rolay 10 is onorgizod by tho cnrront in tho rails of tho noxt l)l(1l'l\' ahoad in tho diroction tho trains run. If a car 1 1? short circuits tho rails of l)l()(l\' tho rolay 11) of hlook l) is tlt'pl'lYttl of snlliciont oilrront and cnrront ooasos to flow in tho waysido circuit of that block, and train 125 is hold stationary hy its hrakos.

Should tho ongino-man tlosiro to roloaso tho hrakos of his train and go ahoad slowly nndor chock. ho ma do so h closing tho self-oponing switch 135'. which may ho ol an dosirod construction. which will oloso tho oironit across tho torminals of tho lino 127 connoctinc to tho hns-har till. tho lino 160. contacts lttl and 1H2. lino 1H9. lino H t. tho winding of tho magnot 11; tho lino 111. the oontacts 113-1 and 166. tho lino 1:17. tho armaturo 1033 and tho wiro 1 11 to tho ln|s-har (38. The magnot 1-1-2 cansos its armatnro 1-14 to pross tho contacts HS and H11 toward oach othor, closing tho oironit from tho linsbar (38 ovor tho lino 150. tho contacts 1-19 and 1-15, tho linos 1.31 and loo to tho hinding post 107. tho winding of tho solonoid 9!), tho himling' post 108 and tho lino no to tho hits-bar (it). Tho onoroizod S'Ullllttltl will oloso tho \"alvo 112 and hohl it in that positi in so long as it is onorg'izod. Tho oloctron'iagnot 1-12 is proforahly in tho form of a slow acting stick rolay" so that it will hoop the contacts 148 aml H!) in ongaoomont while the armatnro 101-, is changing from contact with tho oml of 1 15 to contact with the end of 105.

'hon tho magnot 112 is onoro'izoil it will pross tho contacts '11.") and 11-6 togothor. causing current to pass from tho hos-liar (is ovor tho lino 101. armature 103, line 135, contacts 166 and 161. line 111, the winding of tho magnet 112, line 113, lino Ht), contacts 115 and 11(i,lino 1'37 to tho hns-har (it). This cironit will now remain closed so long as tho armature 103 is in circuit with tho line 135, and thoroforo. tho magnot 1-12 will remain onorgizod own if tho switch 13!) is oponod. This permits tho onginoor to roloaso his switoh immodiatoly aftor closing it. and rolioros him of tho nooossity of holding it olosod. As soon as cnrront passos From tho \\'=l \'5ltlt circuit o\ot' tllo lino 51 or (it. tho magnot .37 will ho onorgizod and tho circuit hotwoon tho armatnro 103 and lino 135' will ho brokon, and tho contacts 115 and H6 will soparato. hnt tho circuit to tho solonoitl tit) oror tho lino 10.) will ho closod simultaneously with tho opening of tho circuit to this solonoid o\'or tho lino 1533, so that thoro will ho no oponing of tho \alvo 112 hooanso of such ohango.

To provont tho hlocltod train from prooooilino' at too high spood. a small gonol'ator 17o may ho mountod on tho locomotivo or tomlor. which gonorator may ho drivon from an axlo 171 in any dosirod.mannor, as by a friction whool 17; soourod to tho axlo 171 and ongaging tho whool 173 on the gonorator shaft 174. slow notingolootro-magnct1T5 is |)|t)\'ltl(tl with a! armatnro 1T6 adaptod to soparato tho contacts 101 and 162 and tho .contaots 1131 and 166. whonoror tho. may} not is snlliciontly onorgizod, which occurs whonoror tho gonorator shaft 171 has at tainoil tho )lt'tltltl'llllllttl spootl which will canso a snliciont current to pass ()\'(1 the linos 1T7 aml 17 Tho slow-acting magnet 175 will koop tho circuits to tho solonoitl 9%) upon for a timo a t'tor tho spood of tho train has t'allon holow tho protlotorminod point. Tho soparation ol tho contacts 161 aml 1131; will opon tho circuit to tho magnot 142. roltthlllg tho armatnro 141 and permitting tho contacts 1-15 and 1413 to soparato. and thus opon tho circuit to tho solonoid $151 and pormit tho oponing of tho train pipe 114.

This will rosnlt in tho train hoing stoppod whonovor it oxcoods a protlotorminod spootl whon running along in a block whoso waysiilo circuit is not roooiving a pl'opor cl|l' ront. Tlih also opons tho circuit to tho switch 13!) so that tho hraltos will ho sot oron it tho onginoor koops this switch closod.

ln ordol' to plaoo a chock on tho onginoor. tho circuit of tho linos 160 and 1 may ho oxtond d so that a sooond switoh 13 may ho placod in sorios with tho switch 139. as shown in Fig. 2. This socond switch may ho placod' whoro it can ho oporatod by tho tiroman or ho placod in ono of tho ooachos whoro it can ho oporatod hy'tho conductor. ln such oaso tho onginoor and conductor mast closo thoir s\\itchos simultanoonsly hot'oro tho train can prooood in a hlook attor the train has been stopped because of lack of roper current in the receiving circuits.

Iii will be understood that when a train is stopped because of the presence of an other train in the block ahead, the stopped train will be released as soon as the other train passes from the block ahead into the second block ahead, for at such passing the lines 8 and 9 of the block ahead again carry suflicient current to the relay 10, causing current to pass to the wayside circuit and t0 the receiving circuit of the stopped train.

I claim.

1. In railway-train control apparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination of a vehicle on a track, a receiving conductor mounted on the vehicle, a mam relay, :1 thermo-electric relay connected to said conductor to control the main relay, a ground Wire connected to said thermo-electric relay, a current source mounted on the vehicle, a safety device for the vehicle, electrically operated means to hold the safety device inoperative when current is present in the wayside circuit, an electric circuit be tween the current source, the controlling means for the safety device and the main relay which may be opened by the main relay to permit the actuation of the safety device when current is absent from the wayside circuit, manually operable controlling means whereby the safety device may be caused to be inoperative durin the time current is absent from the wayside circuit, and means for again causing the safety device to become operative whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount during the time no proper current is received by the receiving conductor, said last mentioned means being immediately rendered inoperative for the purpose set forth when proper current is received by the receiving conductor,

2. In railway-train control apparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination of a vehicle on a track, a receiving conductor mounted on the Vehicle, a main relay, a thermoelectric relay connected to said conductor to control the main relay, a ground wire connected to said thermo-electric relay, 2, current source mounted on the vehicle, a safety device for the vehicle, electrically operated means to hold the safety device inop-' erative when current is present in the wayside circuit, an electric circuit between the current source, the controlling means for the safety device and the main relay which may be opened b the main relay to permit the actuation of tlie safety device when current is absent from thewayside circuit, manually operable controlling means whereby the for the safety device and the main safety device may be caused to be inoperative durin the time current is absent from the wayside circuit, and an electrical generator connected to'the vehicle to be driven according to the speed thereof, and an electrically operated device connected to said generator and energized when the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed to break the circuit between the circuit closer and said safety device.

3. In railway-train control apparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination of a vehicle on a track, a receiving conductor mounted on the vehicle, a main relay, a thermoelectric relay connected to said conductor to control the main relay, a ground Wire connected to said thermo-electric relay, a cur ent source mounted on the vehicle, a safety device for the vehicle, electrically operated means to hold the safety device inoperative when current is present in the wayside circuit, an electric circuit between the current source, the controlling means relay which may be opened by the main relay to permit the actuation of the safely device when current is absent from the wayside circuit, manually operable controlling means whereby the safety device may be caused -to be inoperative during the time current is absent from the wayside circuit, and an electrical generator connected to the vehicle to be driven according to the speed thereof, and an electrically operated device connected to said generator and energized when the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed to break the circuit between the circuit closer and said safety device, said generator and electrically operated device becoming ino erative immediately for the purpose set orth when proper current is received by the receiving conductor.

4. In a railway-train control apparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination of a vehicle on a track, a receiving conductor mounted on the vehicle and spaced apart from the wayside circuit and having an element adjacent to the wayside circuit, a thermo-electric relay connected to said receiving conductor to control the main relay, a ground wire connected to the relay, a current source mounted on the vehicle, a safety device for the vehicle, means normally tending to force said safety device into operative position, an electro-magnet and a circuit therefor whereby the safety device is held in inoperative position against the force of the previously mentioned means whenever current is present in the receiving conductor, which last mentioned circuit is opened by the main relay whenever current is absent from the receiving conductor whereby the safety device is allowed to become operative, manually operable controlling means where by the safety device may be caused to be inoperative during the time current is absent from the receiving conductor, and means for again causing the safety device to become operative whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount during the time current is absent from the receiving conductor, said last-mentioned means being immediately rendered inoperative for the purpose set forth through the instrumentality of the wayside circuit whenever current is present therein.

5. In a railway-train control apparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside, circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination of a vehicle on a track. a receiving conductor mounted on the vehicle, a thermoelectric -relay connected to said conductor to control the main relay, :1 ground wire connected tosaid relay, a current source mounted on the vehicle, a main relay, a safety device for the vehicle, electrically operated means to hold the safety device inoperative when current is present in the wayside circuit, an electric circuit between the current source, the electrically operated means and the relays, which circuit may hc opened by the relay and thus permit the actuation of the safety device when currentis absent from the wayside circuit. manually operable controlling means and an additional circuit whereby the safety device may be caused to be inoperative during the time current is absent from the wayside circuit, and means for again causing the safety device to become operative whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount during the time current is absent from tho wayside circuit, said last-mentioned means being immediately rendered inoperative for the purpose set forth through the instrumentality of the wayside circuit whenever currcnt is present therein.

(5. in a rail\va vtraiu control apparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination 'of a vehicle on a track, a receiving conductor mounted on the vehicle and 's mccdapart from. the wayside circuit, an electrically operated safety device mounted on the vehicle. a main relay. :1 currcnt sourcc mounted on the vehicle. a thcr'mo-clcctric rclay in the receiving conductor to control the main relay. circuits connecting the rclays. the current source and the safety device whereby the safety device is held inoperative during the time current is present in the wayside circuit and said circuit is opened by the main relay so that the safety device is normally caused to become operative whenever current is absent from the wayside conductor, manually controlled means and separate circuits whereby the safety device may be caused to be inoperative during the time current is absent from the wayside circuit, and means for again causing the safety device to become operative whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount during the time current is absent from the wayside circuit, said lastmentioned means being immediately rendered ino uergtive for the purpose set forth through the mstrumentality of the wayside circuit whenever current is present therein.

7. In a railway-train control pparatus adapted for use in connection with wayside circuits connected to sources of high potential oscillating current, the combination of a vehicle on a tack, a receiving conductor on the vehicle adjacent to but separated from the wayside circuit, a current source on the vehicle. a thermo-electric relay in the receiving conductor. a main relay controlled by the thermo-elcctric relay, circuits connecting the relays. the current source on the vehicle and -the safety device, said receiving conductor being connected to said thermo electric relay to cause the same to connect the main relay to the current source, and thereby anse the connection of the current source to the safety device so that the safety device will be held normally inoperative during the time current is present in the receiving circuit. a manually closable circuit between the current source and the safety device to render the afety device inoper, tive during the time current is absent from the receiving circuit. and means for preventing the safety device from operating, means for causing said preventing means to become inoperative whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount during the time current is absent from the receiving conductor. said last -n1entioned means being iunnediatcly rendered inoperative for the purpose set forth through the instrumcnthlity of thc wayside circuit whencvcr current is present therein.

8. In train control ap )aratus adapted for use with a track provided with a wayside circuit. the combination of a vehicle. a cur rent source and a safety device on the vehiclc and a circuit connecting them. a main relay to close the circuit, a circuit between the current source and the main rclay. a secondarv circuit mounted on the vehicle and havinga portion adjacent the wayside circuit. a lhcrmo-clcctric relay. the secondary circuit connected to the thcrmo-elcctric relay to cause the same to closc the circuit between the main rclay and the current source to cause the main relay to close the circuit between the current source and the safety device whereby the safety device is normally hcld in inoperative position when current is present in the wayside circuit, and a manually closable auxiliary ircuit between the current source and the safety device where by the safety device may be prevented from operating during the time current is absent set forth through the instrnmcntality of the wayside circuit whenever current is present therein.

5). In a train control apparatus, the combination of the train valve of a brake mechanism for a railway vehicle, an electrica tlcvice to close the valve, a current ource, a main relay, a circuit between the main r'elay, said electrical device and the current source, a second relav. a receiving, conductor con nectecl thereto. a circuit between the current source and the two relays which control the cnergization of the main relay and is op ned whenever the second relay is deiinergized, a manually operable circuit closer, and a cir cuit between said circuit closer, the current source, the main relay and the train valve controlling device which circuit is open when the main relay is energized and may he closed by the manually operable circuit closer when the main relay is deener ized, in order that the train valve may be c osed.

10. In a train control apparatus, the combination of the train valve of a brake mecha nisin for a railway vehicle, an electrical device to control the valve, a current source, a main relay, a circuit between the main relay, said electrical device and the current source, a second relay, a receiving conductor connected thereto, a circuit between the current source and the two relays which controls the energization of the main relay and is opened whenever the second relay is deenergizctl, a manually operable circuit closer, a circuit between said circuit closer, the current source. the main relay and the, train,

valve ontrollin; device which circuit is open when the main relay is energized and may be closed by the manually operable circuit closer when the main relay is decner- ,qized, in order that the train valve may be closed. and means to open said last named circuit when the vehicle exceeds a predet'crmined speed.

In testimony whereof have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS E. CLARK.

Witnesses Enwano N. ,PimnrsnN, HUoo \V. Knmnnnmc. 

